SOCCER CONFIDENCE VOTE FOR SELECTOR

Press, Volume C, Issue 29515, 17 May 1961, Page 22

SOCCER CONFIDENCE VOTE FOR SELECTOR

j The management committee of the Canterbury Football Association last evening affirmed its confidence in Mr W. W. Carruthers as sole selector for the representatives team. This vote was taken after reference had been made to criticisms, by clubs and individuals. of Mr Carruthers's selections. Mr T. C. Gottermeyer, ieditor of the association's weekly programme, introduced the matter when he I read to the meeting several contributions which had been I sent in for this Saturday's i issue:

[ The main criticism of Mr ’Carruthers's selection for the ; recent match against Otago was that he had chosen some players who were allegedly not in form, and others had been played out of their normal club positions.

It was claimed that, if players were chosen out of their normal positions, an injustice was being done to those players who occupied those positions in club teams, and who would think that they were under consideration for the representative team. This, claimed some, had been a factor in Canterbury's 4-0 defeat by Otago. The South Island and national selectors also came under fire from contributors to the programme. It was said that the playing of men out of position did not give them a chance to stake their best claim to a place in the | national side. Only one i South Island player had

been chosen in the provisional New Zealand team, and he was chosen only in his second-best position.

Several members of the management committee commented that they had heard, from players and supporters, of their dissatisfaction with Canterbury's performance against Otago. The chairman (Mr J. Smith) moved a vote of confidence in Mr Carruthers, and this was carried with only one voice against. Mr Carruthers said that he did not feel that he should carry on as selector, as the management committee was not completely behind him, but Mr Smith ruled that the vote of confidence had been properly passed.